Lean muscle mass is an important component of overall health and fitness. Having more lean muscle mass can help you burn more calories and fat, even when at rest. It also supports metabolism, mobility, injury prevention, and overall wellbeing. So what exactly is lean muscle mass and how can you build it?
Lean muscle mass refers to the amount of muscle on your body after subtracting body fat. It's the functional muscle that powers daily movement and activity. Unlike fat mass, lean muscle mass is metabolically active, meaning it requires calories and energy even at rest. The more lean muscle you have, the more calories you burn around the clock.
Some key benefits of increasing lean muscle include:
- Increased calorie burn and metabolism: Lean muscle burns more calories than fat, so more muscle means a faster metabolism. Even a modest increase in lean mass can add up to extra calories burned over time.
- Support for fat loss: Muscle growth helps offset and prevent loss of muscle when in a calorie deficit. Maintaining lean mass while losing fat helps maximize fat burning.
- Improved mobility and function: More muscle means greater strength for daily activities and exercise. Strong functional muscle also helps support joint health.
- Injury prevention: Lean muscle protects bones and joints by stabilizing and supporting them during movement and exercise. More muscle means greater resilience against injuries.
- Hormone optimization: Muscle plays a key role in hormone production and metabolism. Increased lean mass can help optimize key hormones like testosterone.
So how can you build and maintain more lean muscle? Here are some proven strategies:
- Strength training: Lifting weights provides the mechanical tension and stimulus needed for lean muscle growth. Aim for 2-3 days per week of total body or split strength workouts.
- High protein intake: Shoot for 0.5 - 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily to support muscle protein synthesis. Include lean protein at each meal.
- Progressive overload: Gradually increase weight, reps, and intensity over time to continually challenge your muscles. Adding load is key for growth.
- Recovery support: Get enough sleep, take rest days, and manage stress levels. Recovery is when your muscles rebuild and strengthen.
- Calorie surplus: Being in a slight surplus (around 300 calories over maintenance needs) provides energy for your muscles to grow. Time calorie cycles to support both muscle gain and fat loss phases.
- Hormone optimization: Harmony Hormone Clinic can help optimize key hormones like testosterone and growth hormone through science-based treatment plans to further support lean muscle growth. Their experts tailor treatments to your unique needs.
Building lean muscle takes consistency with strength training, nutrition, and lifestyle habits. Be patient through plateaus and keep challenging your muscles. Maintaining lean mass provides key benefits for health, function, metabolism, and body composition. Reach out to
Harmony Hormone Clinic to learn more about optimizing hormones for lean muscle goals!